Folding thill or pole for vehicles



(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 1. J. D. RAFFENSBERGER. FOLDING THILL 0R POLEFOR VEHICLES. No. 438.946.

Patented Oct. 21,1890.

(No Model.) 3 SheetsShet 2.

' J. D. RAFFENSBERGER.

FOLDING. THILL 0R POLE FOR VEHIGLES. No. 438,946. Patented Oct. 21,1890.

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

. J. D. RAFFENSBERGER.

FOLDING THILL 0R POLE FOR VBHIGLES.-

No. 438,946. Patented Oct. 21, 1890.

ay/$0. "W 7 My 1? UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JACOB D. RAFFENSBERGER, OF MEOHANIOSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

FOLDING THILL OR POLE FOR VEHICLES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 438,946, dated October21, 1890.

Application filed July 26, 1890.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, J AooB D. RAFFENSBER- GER, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Mechanicsburg, in the county of Cumberland and Stateof Pennsylvania, haveinvented new and useful Improvements in FoldingThills or Poles, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to that type of sectional jointed thills or poleswhich can be folded when not in use; and the main object of my inventionis to provide a novel, efficient, and practical construction for thejointed extremities of thills or poles, wherein a sleeve encircling onethill or pole section is so formed as to extend across the hinged jointand embrace the wooden extremity of the other thill or pole section,whereby a strong, durable, and safe jointed connection is obtained,which will not open while the animal is pulling or holding back.

The invention also has for its object to provide a novel constructionand arrangement whereby the rear thill or pole section can be raised andthe front section lowered to place the folded thill or pole inaperpendicular position, or approximately so, for economizing in spacewhen housing the vehicle.

The invention also has for its object to provide a novel, efficient, andsafe construction of jointed thill or pole sections whereby the rearthill or pole section can be elevated and the front section lowered torest against the ground or floor and act as a prop for sustaining thethill or pole in afolded approximately perpendicular position.

The invention also has for its object to provide a novel construction ofthill or pole which enables the hitching of the animal to the vehicle tobe more conveniently effected than heretofore.

The invention also has for its object to pro vide a novel constructionof thill or pole for facilitating repairs should occasion demand, and,finally, the invention has for its object to provide a novel clamp forrigidly locking the hinged sections together and preventing theirrattling;

To accomplish all these objects my invention involves the features ofconstruction, thelcombination or arrangement of devices,

Serial No. 360,067- (No model.)

spective view of the metallic binding of the rear thill-section, towhich the sleeve is hinged or pivoted. Fig. 5 is a broken detail view ofa modified construction showing my improved clamping device for lockingthe hinged sections together. Fig. 6 is a similar view showing the frontsection released and turned downward. Fig. 7 is a detail perspectiveview of the box-clamp. Fig. 8 is a vertical central sectional view ofthe construction shown in Figs. 5 and 6. Fig. 9 is abroken perspectiveview of a modified construction showing the front section released fromthe clamp and turned downward. Fig. 10 is a detail perspective View ofthe sleeve shown in Fig. 9, which encircles the front thill-section.Fig. 11 is a detail perspective View of the metallic binding'which isapplied to the rear thillsection in Fig. 9. Fig. 12 is a sectional sideelevation of the thills in their folded position with the frontthill-sections lowered and acting as a prop. Fig. 13 is a side elevationshowing the invention applied to the tongue or pole of a vehicle. Fig.14 is a broken detail view showing a modified construction of clamp orfastening device. Fig. 15 is a similar view showing another modifiedconstruction of fastening device for securing the hinged thill or polesections together.

In order to enable those skilled in the art to make and use myinvention, I will now describe the same in detail, referring to thedrawings, where- The numerals 1 indicate the rear sections of thethills, which are adapted to be pivotally connected with the front axleof a vehicle in any ordinary manner.

sections 2, are each provided at their rear extremities with a metallicsleeve 3, which surrounds or encircles such section, and is hinged Thefront thills,

or pivoted to the metallic binding 4:, applied to the forward extremityof each rear thill-section. The hinge is preferably of the knuckle type,and is composed of the pintle 5, passing through the eyes 6, formed onthe sleeve and binding. The sleeve 3, which surrounds or encircles eachof the front thill-sections, conforms accurately with the shape of thelatter, and is formed integral with the shell-like extension 7, which isapproximately semi-circular in cross-section and projects across thehinged joint 3 to overlay and embrace the forward extremity of the rearthill-section in such manner that the rectilinear edges 8 of theshell-like extension rest upon the rectilinear edges 9 of the metallicbinding, and thereby coverand strengthen thehinged joint ofthethill-sections. By this peculiar construction I produce practicaljointed thills, which are strong, durable, and safe, and the joint ofwhich will not open while the animal is pulling or holding back. Theadjoining ends of the thill-sections are divided in such manner thatwhen the front and rear thillsections are in alignment, as indicated bythe full lines, Figs. 1 and 2, such adjoining ends abut each other,while their abutting portions are covered and concealed by the metalsleeve with its shell-like extension projecting across the hinge joint.

The knuckle hinge or pivot is located at the under side of the thills,the purpose of which arrangement is to permit the rear thill-sections tobe elevated and the front thill-sections to be lowered, whereby thethills can be folded to stand perpendicular, or approximately so, andthe front thill-sections, one or both, made to rest at the outerextremity upon the ground or floor, as represented in Fig. 12, to serveas a prop for sustaining the thills in their folded condition toeconomize in space when the vehicle is housed. When the thills areunfolded and brought to the position required for hitching the animal,the shell-like extensions on the sleeve 3 overlay and rest upon theforward extremities of the rear thillseetions, and therefore the frontthill-sections are stopped in proper alignment with the rearthill-sections and the hinge-joint will not be broken while the animalis pulling or holding back. The jointed construction of the thills alsoprovides for convenient repairing of broken thills when occasiondemands, and in this respect the invention is very desirable.

The construction illustrated by Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 4 can be practicallyused without the employment of a looking or fastening device forsecuring the front and rear thill-sections in alignment; but in practiceI prefer to employ a clamp device such as is exhibited by Figs. 5, 6,and 7.

In Figs. 5, 6, and 8 the adjoining extremities of the front and rearthill-sections are cut away to form the rabbeted joint, and the metallicbinding 4 of the rear thill-section is formed with a ring or collar 10,which surrounds or encircles such rear thill-section,

and serves as a bearing for the sliding boxclamp 13, that is adapted tomove forwardly from such ring or collar to a position upon theshell-like extension 7 of the sleeve 3, as shown in Fig. 5. The rearwardmovement of the box-clamp may be limited in any suitable manner-es, forexample, by the stop pin or lug 14, secured to the rearthill-section-but obviously some device other than the stop pin or lugcan be employed to limit the rearward mor ement of the box-clamp, andtherefore I do not confine myself to any particular construction foraccomplishing this result. The sliding box-clamp conforms to thecross-sectional shape of the thills, and is provided with a bottom wall15, having the orifice or opening 16 and two pendent cars 17, betweenwhich is pivoted the cam or eccentric 18, hav ing a lever-handle 19. Thepivoted pin 20 of the cam or eccentric extends through the cars 17, andpermits the cam or eccentric to be swung for the purpose of locking theboxclamp in a fixed position. The cam or eccentric of the lever-handleis adapted to pass through the orifice 16 in the bottom wall of thebox-clamp to bind against the under side of the metallic binding 4 ofthe rear thillsection in such manner when the thill-sections are placedin alignment, as in Figs. 5 and 8, the box-clamp can be slid forwardlyover the shell-like extensions 7 to the sleeve 3, and then by swingingthe lever-handle rearwardly to rest against the rear thill-section, asin Fig. 5, the box-clamp will be tightened and located firmly in a fixedposition, thereby securing together the thill-sections and effectuallypreventing their rattling.

In Figs. 9, 10, and 11 the construction is the same as described withreference to Figs. 5, 6, 7, and 8, except that the joining ends of thefront and rear thill-sections are divided on an oblique or diagonalline, as as 21.

In Fig. 13 I have exhibited my invention applied to the tongue or poleof a vehicle,

and as the features of construction are essentially the same asheretofore described I do not deem it essential to specifically describethe parts exhibited in Fig. 13.

In Fig. 1a the construction is the same as described with reference toFigs. 5, (3, and 8, with the exception that instead of the slidingbox-clamp I employ the swinging yoke 22, pivoted at its lower portion,as at 23, and carrying at its upper portion a pivoted cam-lever 24. insuch manner that the yoke can be swung forwardly to the positionindicated by full lines, and then by swinging the handle of thecam-lever downwardly the cam is caused to bind against the shell-likeextension 7 of the sleeve 3, and thereby rigidly connects thejointed-thill sections and prevents their rattling.

In Fig. 15 the construction is substantially the same as described withreference to Figs. 5, 6, and 8, with the exception that the thills aredivided on an oblique or diagonal line, as at 21, the same as in Fig. 9,and the spring- IIO catch 26 is employed to connectthe hinged sectionstogether and prevent them from rattling.

In the several figures of the accompanying drawings like figures ofreference indicate corresponding parts, and therefore I have notspecifically described the several parts shown in each figure.

In hitching the animal to the vehicle, one or both of the frontthill-sections can be lowered to rest on the ground, and thereby sustainthe rear thill-sections in an elevated position while the animal isbacked between the thills inthe usual manner.

By adjusting the front thill-section, which rests on the ground, to amore or less inclined position the height at which the rear sections aresupported can be varied to suit the conditions required-as, for example,when the animals differ in height.

In practice, the hinge-joints of the thills are located at such pointthat when the rear sections are swung upwardly and the front sectionsare swung downwardly the folded thills will stand perpendicular, orapproximately so, and the forward extremities of the frontthillsections, either or both, will rest on the ground and act as propsfor sustaining the thills in their folded position, as exhibited in Fig.12.

As regards the shell-like extensions 7 of the ,sleeve 3 to projectacross the hinged joint of the thill or pole sections, I do not confinemyself to a locking device for rigidly fastening the front and rearsections together, for this part of my invention can be employed forlight driving without the use of a clamp or other looking or fasteningcatch.

It will be obvious that instead of placing the sleeve 3 of the frontthill-section on the metallic binding of the rear thill-section theposition of the parts can be reversed and the sleeve placed on the rearthill-section, while the metallic binding is placed on the frontthill-section; but this construction is not preferred.

In my improved folding thills or poles the front extremities can rest onthe ground without breaking or opening the joints, which result isattained by locating the hinge or pivot at the under side of the thillor pole section, and this is a new and useful and desirable arrangement,particularly desirable in connection with the construction of thesleeves to project azross and cover and conceal the division of thethills or poles into sections.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is- 1. The combination,with two sections of a folding thill or pole for vehicles, of a metallicsleeve surrounding the extremity of one section, hinged to the othersection at the under side of the two thill-sections, whereby the frontthill-section can be swung downward to rest upon the ground or floor toserve as a prop for sustaining the thill in an approximatelyperpendicular position, said sleeve having an extension which projectsacross the joint and encircles the top surface of the opposite thill orpole section, substantially as described.

2. The combination, with a sectional jointed thill or pole for avehicle, of the metallic sleeve surrounding the extremity of onesection, hinged to the other section and having an extension projectingacross the joint and partially encircling or surrounding said otherthill or pole section, and a sliding box-clamp for engaging theextension of the sleeve to lock the hinged sections together and preventtheir rattling, substantially as described.

3. A sectional thill or pole having the rear and front sections hingedtogether and one section provided with a sleeve formed with a shell-likeextension projecting across the joint, in combination with a slidingboxclainp having a swinging cam or eccentric pro- Vided with alever-handle for locking the sections in alignment with each other andpreventing their rattling, substantially as described.

4. A sectional pole or thill having the rear and front sections hingedtogether and one section provided with a sleeve formed with a shell-likeextension projecting across the joint and embracing the other section,in combination with a sliding box-clamp having an orifice in its bottomWall and provided withpendent lugs or ears, and a cam or eccentricpivoted to the lugs or ears and provided with a lever-handle for causingthe cam or eccentric to pass through the orifice and lock the box-clampin a stationary position to secure the thill or pole sections inalignment with each other and prevent their rattling, substantially asdescribed.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature in presence of twowitnesses.

JACOB D. RAFFENSBERGER. Witnesses:

Y. D. KEEFER, JAS. L. YOUNG.

